While much of the content stays the same, some things worth noticing: under the new pandering, black people can be sinners, prosteltyzers and even angels, but Chick has yet to draw a black Jesus, as that might be taking it a step too far. Also, in the black remake of "This Was Your Life", the creepy boss who says "incidentally sir, he's not only one of our best workers, but also he's a fine Christian" is still white. Even in racial panderville, the boss is still white.posted by jonson at 11:32 PM on September 23, 2006

Man, I have been collecting these for a couple of years now. They are pretty prevalent across my campus, will have to keep my out for some of these new ones.posted by sourbrew at 11:41 PM on September 23, 2006

The art on these is a lot better, IMO.posted by delmoi at 11:45 PM on September 23, 2006

sourbrew, I actually bought a 100 pack a few years ago. It's simultaneously one of my prized possessions and sources of greatest shame that I gave those loonie fuckers some additional funding.posted by jonson at 11:46 PM on September 23, 2006

Also, it's awesome to see that whether you're white or black, your whoremongering face is pretty similar. I always figured black people whoremongered "cooler" than white people in some undefinable way. Good to know.posted by jonson at 11:47 PM on September 23, 2006

Hmm, this is the first time I read that "moon god" stuff from chick. Doesn't he know the "God of Abraham" is really just the Israelite wind god?

Also note that in the original, Mr. Judged is lusting after a woman creepily from around a corner, while in the blackified version he's watching his object of sinful desire on TV.posted by neckro23 at 11:52 PM on September 23, 2006

It really is a charming story. The only better one is Santa Claus, 'cause he doesn't get hurt in the end, but this one's pretty good. The God/gift thing is really quite sweet in that abused woman syndrome sorta way. "Oh, please, come back to me! Here, eat me up, I don't care, I love you!"

But, anyway, yah. That was a cool little comic. it isn't advocating much in the way of harm.

Say what you want about Jack Chick, but the man is clearly a master at strategically concealing a black cock.posted by dgaicun at 12:51 AM on September 24, 2006 [1 favorite]

I collect these as found strategically placed one by one over the years. Themes vary widely, from those who are too much of this world, like the noisy jewelry and high-heel-wearing "Miss click-click" to "The Last Generation" tract where satan encourages crazy-eyed Little Bobby to turn in his parents to the satanic new age world order, where Grampa refuses even under torture to renounce his faith. Then, the rapture "hits....."
The common thread is that all you have to do to live forever is to at least mutter under your breath before you expire that you believe the Jesus Saves stuff.
Otherwise.............posted by longsleeves at 1:01 AM on September 24, 2006

Our close will dis-appear and we will acsend into the sky, where the finest of jellies and jams await our heavenly sexiness and satisfication on high, and Marvin G. hisself will seranade our sexual healing.posted by longsleeves at 1:32 AM on September 24, 2006

When do we get to hear the dirtiest story the sinner ever heard? I'm intrigued.posted by econous at 2:17 AM on September 24, 2006

I dunno, but I hope it involves a lake full of naked African lesbians.posted by dgaicun at 2:26 AM on September 24, 2006

My SO was once given a copy of "The Tiny Shoes" by a cab driver on the ride home from a hardcore night of partying. It was a family joke for a while, with our son piteously asking us for just some tiny shoes whenever he wanted something. Ah, good times....posted by alltomorrowsparties at 2:31 AM on September 24, 2006

I fondly remember these from my early teens. Whatever may be wrong with Mr. Chick, hey, the dude drew Nixon in demonic fashion, for being friendly with those godless communist Chineese. Now, if he'd just give the same treatment the current demon in the Whitehouse.posted by Goofyy at 2:33 AM on September 24, 2006

In the 1970s, Chick also hired much-lauded African-American artist Fred Carter to help him with his work, and Carter has drawn many of Chick's tracts. Carter originally worked anonymously for Chick, creating much speculation among Chick's fans as to the identity of his "good artist." Chick revealed Carter's involvement in a 1980 issue of his newsletter Battle Cry. He collaborated again with Carter on the recently-finished film, The Light of the World, presenting the Bible in oil paintings by Carter.

Grr, beat me to it, riotgrrl. Damn lack of previewing...posted by Jilder at 4:32 AM on September 24, 2006

How is it possible that this thread has come this far without bringing up Soul Story, an actual blaxploitation tract that Chick did back when? It's #2 (after Dark Dungeons, natch) on my list of all-time best Chick tracts.posted by graymouser at 4:53 AM on September 24, 2006

also see Adam and Eve from "Best Friend" vs Adam and Eve from "Soul Sister"

Interesting post, but leave it to the reader to form their own opinion on Jack Chick based on the material at hand. There wasn't any reason, other than to display your own credentials, to call him a "lunatic."posted by trinarian at 7:29 AM on September 24, 2006

Haw Haw - Hey guys, this is the dirtiest story I've ever heard, it goes something like this - this family walks into a talent agent's office and the father says, "Boy, have I got the act you've been looking for..."posted by phirleh at 7:36 AM on September 24, 2006 [1 favorite]

trinarian - IHMOB, and though I rarely do this, I cribbed this directly from it.posted by jonson at 7:44 AM on September 24, 2006

There's definitely a squalid quality to these tracts that make them both repulsive and endlessly fascinating. Great post!posted by Hypnic jerk at 7:49 AM on September 24, 2006

It's already been said, but it bears repeating, my favorite part of any Jack Chick tract: Haw Haw!

Oh, and if you've only seen his tracts, you've missed out on his Crusaders comic book series; one of the all-time greats was Spellbound?, where the cover was 8 track tapes in the shape of Stonehenge. With the painting re-done to be cassettes, the effect is mostly lost. The series starts off a little weak, and kinda loses its way when it gets to the "Alberto" stuff, which is just one long rant against the Catholic church. But in between, (Scarface through Sabotage?) it's just... breathtaking.posted by kimota at 8:40 AM on September 24, 2006

"his name is not in the book" is my personal motto.posted by cardoso at 9:20 AM on September 24, 2006

Clearly, black people are better drawn.posted by drezdn at 9:46 AM on September 24, 2006

... the miracle was that the little boy could read.posted by BrotherCaine at 9:56 AM on September 24, 2006

There wasn't any reason, other than to display your own credentials, to call him a "lunatic."

are you serious? The possibility that you could be serious really scares me. Sometimes I find chick funny, and then sometimes it really depresses me... that tract about islam was a perfect example of authoritarianism works: one guy shows up with no evidence or critical analysis, simply making strong, authoritative claims, and convinces another man to completely change from one blind faith position to another.

(The crescent moon isn't even considered a symbol of islam by a lot of muslims - it was more a symbol of the ottoman empire. And obviously christianity has a huge amount of borrowed pagan mythology in their culture too... not that anyone here would need to see refutations of such complete crap, but - I dunno - maybe some people do. which like I said is depressing).posted by mdn at 10:28 AM on September 24, 2006

Meh. I won't believe that Chick has any interest in equality at all until God is replaced with a blacklight.

It's funny how, in the anti-Islam comic, he has no problems slamming Islam but still doesn't have the balls to depict Mohammed.posted by mullingitover at 10:58 AM on September 24, 2006

"There wasn't any reason, other than to display your own credentials, to call him a "lunatic."

Bullshit. This filth needs to be exposed and it's adherents properly riduculed. Playing nice with a misguided notion of tolerance is why things are so fucked up right now.posted by 2sheets at 11:04 AM on September 24, 2006

Bullshit. This filth needs to be exposed and it's adherents properly riduculed. Playing nice with a misguided notion of tolerance is why things are so fucked up right now.

Some people believe that Dungeons and Dragons teaches teens to magically control their parents minds. Some people disagree. A fair minded poster would teach the controversy, rather than editorializing.posted by Phlogiston at 11:11 AM on September 24, 2006 [1 favorite]

Right. No idea can be so loony that it doesn't deserve serious consideration.

Some people believe that Dungeons and Dragons teaches teens to magically control their parents minds. Some people disagree. A fair minded poster would teach the controversy, rather than editorializing.

I knew someone in high school who claimed that he could fly if he flapped his arms hard enough. When I tell that to people, should I explain why I believe this to be impossible? Is it wrong of me to just say that it's a zany notion?posted by duffell at 11:42 AM on September 24, 2006

A fair minded poster would teach the controversy, rather than editorializing.

What? Controversy? What controversy? Is there a reputable source you can point us to that doesn't find Chick to be totally mental?posted by Astro Zombie at 11:44 AM on September 24, 2006

Some people believe that Dungeons and Dragons teaches teens to magically control their parents minds. Some people disagree. A fair minded poster would teach the controversy, rather than editorializing.

I'm pretty sure that this statement is a satirical remark about the "intelligent design" "debate".posted by interrobang at 11:53 AM on September 24, 2006

A fair minded poster would teach the controversy, rather than editorializing.

Shape of the World: Views Differ! Some say the world is round. Others disagree.posted by scody at 12:05 PM on September 24, 2006

Yeah, I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that Phlogiston is actually just making fun of Trinarian, and is in no way serious. The thought that TWO people would have trouble with referring to Jack Chick as a lunatic and one of them is not actually Jack Chick himself.... that's unpossible.posted by jonson at 12:08 PM on September 24, 2006

Man...my sarcasm detection sucks.posted by duffell at 12:14 PM on September 24, 2006

You know why it's right to call Chick a lunatic?

Because he fucking well is.

Sweet jesus, the next thing I'll read is that Charles Manson is just misunderstood. FFS, we simply can not allow ourselves to become such a milquetoast culture that no one is ever criticized for being a lunatic. Especially when their lunacy is harmful to our culture.posted by five fresh fish at 12:46 PM on September 24, 2006

Jack Chick is my kind of lunatic. The kind who leaves acres of documentation proving beyond a shadow of a doubt just how batshitinsane he really is. For the edification and entertainment of all of us. And let's not forget how many people seriously started questioning their religious beliefs once one of Chick's hate tracts fell into their hands. Like me at about age 14. Thanks jonson and Thanx Jack T. Mutherfuckin' Chick!posted by telstar at 1:20 PM on September 24, 2006

Man I miss Space Moose.posted by jkaczor at 2:29 PM on September 24, 2006

"And let's not forget how many people seriously started questioning their religious beliefs once one of Chick's hate tracts fell into their hands."

They actually did have that effect on me. I had some doubts about the sunday school pap I was being served, and suspected that a lot of the religous types around me were ignorant bullies. Let's just say Chick didn't help their case.posted by 2sheets at 5:30 PM on September 24, 2006

"It's funny how, in the anti-Islam comic, he has no problems slamming Islam but still doesn't have the balls to depict Mohammed."

I'm pretty sure he does depict Muhammad in at least one tract. I was going through a bunch of them last night and I could swear I saw this. He has more than one anti-Islam tract.

My mom used to buy me these tracts at the Christian book store when I was a kid, and she also bought the larger comics with the anti-Catholic screeds, etc. Luckily, the contents therein didn't stick.posted by litlnemo at 5:31 PM on September 24, 2006

just what the bible needs : cliff notes with pictures .posted by mishaco at 5:39 PM on September 24, 2006

Great post! Great title!

Seconded. And really, if Jack Chick isn't a lunatic, I don't want to be sane.

These "urban" ones really are pretty good, though.

Hmm, maybe there's something to this "book o' life" stuff...

OK, that's it, I'm gettin' right with God—see all you suckers in the lake of fire! HAW HAW!posted by languagehat at 5:44 PM on September 24, 2006

My mom used to buy me these tracts at the Christian book store

Hmmm, the Christian bookstore where I fill up on these gems gives them away for free....or maybe that's the impression I had, and no one noticed as I walked out with an armload?posted by telstar at 6:45 PM on September 24, 2006

I'm picturing languagehat staring at a reference book of obscure Celtic Etymology, with a speech bubble that reads "UMMMMM.... NICE!"posted by jonson at 6:54 PM on September 24, 2006

And you a perfesser, too, with that reading comprehension. ;) (I keed, I keed!)posted by orthogonality at 10:34 PM on September 24, 2006

I can remember when I was a kid, I honestly enjoyed reading these things. They are very simplistic visualizations of the world as it's described in Sunday School, and back then I took the whole thing at face value. This was the world that was presented to me and I took it for granted. I didn't know there was a debate. You could tell the bad people in the world because they were ugly and they'd offer me drugs and they'd be gross. Beautiful and clean people would be angelic. I noticed early on that there were examples in every day life which didn't mesh with such a world-view.

This simplistic view Chick tracts depicted may have been what I found appealing back in my single digits, but it was also its bane. Chick Tracts visualize the BS that Sunday Schools all over the country and the world prosletyze. It inadvertently shines a light on that shallow, disenfranchised view of reality and reveals how prejudiced and hollow such a P.O.V. is.

I can recall one day I was around nine or ten and I was reading one of them, I think it was this one, and something clicked in my head. It just wasn't right. This just didn't fit the world I actually saw with my own eyes.

If I was going to believe in God, it wasn't going to be this god. The copy of "Somebody Loves Me" I recall reading many years ago didn't have I'll go for help strategically included. That was added much later.

The world is not black and white. It is deliciously much more complicated than that. Unfortunately, people like Jack Chick will never open their eyes. At best, they'd see brown and beige. They just wouldn't get it.posted by ZachsMind at 10:37 PM on September 24, 2006

As politely as possible, Trinitarian:

I don't believe Mr. Chick "represents the beliefs of a fairly large percentage of Americans". I made a sarcastic comment, directed at you, over his assertion that Dungeons and Dragons teaches its players to develop supernatural powers.

I believe that a -very- small percentage of Americans hold this view. I also believe that, were you to take a large sample of people who were completely unfamiliar with D&D, and explain both sides of the debate to them, the vast majority would be unconvinced that D&D grants its players super-powers.

Metafilter is not Wikipedia. It doesn't strive to keep a "neutral point of view" on the virtues of Time Cube or the theory that Islam is the product of a Catholic conspiracy.

If suggesting that D&D players have no supernatural powers is small-minded of me, then argue the matter with me. (As a former D&D player, I'd like to get in on the action if I'm wrong.) But don't whine because the rest of us don't embrace your "secular, liberal" sarcasm as a reason to delete an otherwise entertaining post.posted by Phlogiston at 10:51 PM on September 24, 2006

The worst part of this is that Trinarian ordered me to get my own blog twice (once here, once in MetaTalk) despite the fact that I have had my own blog for months now. If only someone would come read it... so lonely...so ...lone...posted by jonson at 11:19 PM on September 24, 2006 [2 favorites]

Mob justice has spoken and Mathowie has washed his hands of this incident...

I'll begin my banishment after this.

I'll concede my own desires for objective FPP's aren't nearly as well supported by either Mathowie or the community as I thought. It is also sad that only a few members responded thoughtfully. I thank those who did.

I also concede that Chick is a lunatic now because his conspiracy theories were demonstrated. I still don't see why these couldn't have been added to the post if you really felt the need to call him a lunatic. Many [many] years ago, when I bought Chick tracks as an evanglical stores did not carry these conspiracy tracts. These views aren't widely known. Hence, I still feel most who were calling him a lunatic were doing so only because of his literalist and eschatological theology [which is mainstream].

I probably take it too personally because most of my family would whole-heartedly agree with most of his tracts.

Jonson's blog is highly entertaining, and he hardly ever describes the Holocaust as a Catholic conspiracy.

I remember finding a bunches of Chick comics dumped on the church steps as I left Catholic catechism every Saterday. I loved them, but then I was the kind of kid who couldn't not read a free comic book. Then the anti-Catholic tracts started showing up... and then no more Chick after CCD. It's odd, but those Chick books, vile as they are, were my introduction to underground comics. They were so wrong, but the art was so weirdly appealing, and back in those days it was a lot harder to find anything that wasn't mainstream. The newer, slicker tracts are missing something essential, I think. (Are you listening, Jack?!!)
"The Tiny Shoes" that alltomorrowsparties mentioned is a wonderful example of Chick at his most crazy/maudlin.posted by maryh at 11:57 PM on September 24, 2006 [1 favorite]

my introduction to underground comix was Cherry Poptart. I must say, though, it really cut into my masturbation when she started talking about the Jesuit plan to exterminate the jews during the middle of the sex scenes.

Trinarian, I'll gladly check yours out. And furthermore, I promise to never insist you get one of your own!posted by jonson at 12:13 AM on September 25, 2006

Trinarian, you really have a completely mistaken view of Jack Chick's work. If you're using his pamphlets as examples of widespread Southern Christian fundamentalism, you're doing your overseas students a great disservice and should stop immediately.

I still feel most who were calling him a lunatic were doing so only because of his literalist and eschatological theology

Oh, please. It's just plain shocking that someone who claims to care about religion *wouldn't* know that Jack Chick is a fucking lunatic. Don't make assumptions about "most" of us just because you were completely ignorant about the subject you were berating us on.posted by mediareport at 12:20 AM on September 25, 2006

"I still feel most who were calling him a lunatic were doing so only because of his literalist and eschatological theology [which is mainstream]."

Mainstream? How parochial of you.

Where I live (not America) these views are not mainstream and vigorous assertion of them is regarded as lunacy. I understand that even in the United States literal belief in a fundamentalist Christian eschatology is restricted to a minority, albeit a large one. It may interest you to know to that is considered very scary by people who do not live in your country.

In any case the number of people supporting his view is inconsequential. Not only on a worldwide scale, but even in the United States literal belief in a fundamentalist Christian eschatology is restricted to a minority - but even if it weren't, this would not dissuade me from labelling it lunacy, just as I would label any other egregiously irrational belief lunacy.

"Loonie fucker" is the response of any reasonable person to Chick tracts. Don't have your mind so open your brains fall out.posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:59 AM on September 25, 2006

Jack Chick's just too thoughty and abstract. I never get what he's driving at. If only there were people willing to explain these concepts to me.posted by evil holiday magic at 2:20 AM on September 25, 2006

I find it intersting that his most offensive stuff, like the Holocaust tract, is only available special order.

Here in the south there are an awful lot of people that spread his tracts, but many of them are ignorant of his more extreme views.

This should probably go to MeTa as a pony request, but is there any way to automatically add the "batshitinsane" tag to all Jack Chick posts? It seems to be missing from this one.posted by TedW at 6:14 AM on September 25, 2006

I just read a few more of the tracts. I think it's sickening. Truly sickening. By drawing these cartoons with their hideous stereotypes, unlikely scenarios and preposterous ideas, Chick is making this world a worse place for us all. I also don't appreciate someone telling me I'm an "abomination" when I email them.

Just because a few of his beliefs overlap with some Baptist beliefs doesn't make his beliefs an example of Baptist orthodoxy.

He is, objectively, a loon. Sorry.posted by MythMaker at 3:38 PM on September 25, 2006

As usual, I like how conspiracy theories now separate the loony from the sane. I’m crazy if I believe that the U.S. government concealed an alien spacecraft and bodies of extra-terrestrials at Area 51… so long as the LGM are from space and not from Heaven? So long as they didn’t create the universe? Please, draw a line for me, cause I have a personal relationship with God. (I play poker with him every other Wednesday night.)

But anyway, yeah, Chick has lost contact with reality if he ever had it.

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